LALIFF Animation Day Short Film Slate Revealed
8 shorts will be featured at the LA Latino International Film Festival’s debut day-long animation event, set for June 4, which includes premieres, panel discussions, an animated shorts contest, and masterclasses; festival runs June 2-6.
‘To The Letter’ Highlights Challenges Unhoused Kids Face Learning to Read
Non-profit School on Wheels releases new animated short, created by the CBS Leadership Pipeline Challenge, to support ABC Literacy Program that helps unhoused K-3 students catch up in literacy and develop a love of reading.
Danny McBride and Tornante Developing ‘Garbage Pail Kids’ Series for HBO Max
Animated show is based on iconic Topps trading card brand, launched in 1985 as a Cabbage Patch Kids parody.
Adobe Debuts its First Premiere Pro Commercial
Produced with 72andSunny Los Angeles, ‘Fantastic Voyage | Premiere Pro’ follows a creator’s escapist adventures spotlighting endless possibilities in storytelling.
Lion Forge and BRON Team Up on ‘Heiress’ Animated Series and Games
Studios behind ‘Hair Love’ and ‘The Willoughbys’ will produce a kids’ series, interactive titles, and online community based on the story of a young prince determined to step out from the shadows of her brothers.
‘Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam’ Movie Coming to Cartoon Network
This Father’s Day, the Teen Titans share commentary and hilarity at a ‘Space Jam’ watch party in their all-new 80-minute original movie; May 29 kicks off the ‘Teen Titans Go!’ weekend with ‘New Teen Titans’ creative team and DC Super Hero Girls crossover episode.
‘Eden’ Marries 2D and 3D in a Powerful Picture of Parental Love
Premiering today, Justin Leach’s new series, Netflix’s first original anime, explores the idea of robots showing the compassion needed to raise a child found alive in a post-apocalyptic world without humans.
Last Call for Ottawa International Animation Festival Submissions
Don’t forget to enter your film by May 31st; North America’s leading animation festival runs online September 22 – October 3.
Academy Announces Date Change for 94th Oscars
Ceremony moves to March 27, 2022; film eligibility window returns to standard December 31 deadline, though requirements remain unchanged from 2021 awards.
Next PreVIEW Set: A Conversation with ‘Luca’ Director Enrico Casarosa
Join a conversation with the director and creative team behind Disney and Pixar’s upcoming animated feature; the free June 21 event is offered in partnership with OGR and Pixar Animation Studios.
Academy Cuts 2021 New Member Expansion in Half
Noting the need to ensure proper staffing and infrastructure to support ongoing growth, the Academy announces invitee limits while reaffirming goals to cultivate membership that reflects the diverse film community.
‘The BeatBuds, Let’s Jam!’ Will Soon Rock Out on Nick!
Co-produced by Scooter Braun’s SB Projects, new musical animated preschool series based on the kids’ music duo, The Beatbuds, features an original song each episode; show premieres June 7 with new episodes airing daily during the Nick Jr. Beat Bash week-long programming event.
Amazon Buys MGM for $8.45 Billion
Deal gets e-commerce and streaming giant extensive library of more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows, including ‘Rocky,’ ‘The Pink Panther,’ ‘Tomb Raider,’ and a part of ‘James Bond.’
Epic Announces Unreal Engine 5 Early Access
Now available for game developers, latest major release, expected to ship in early 2022, includes numerous new groundbreaking features including Nanite virtualized micropolygon and Lumen global illumination systems.
Speakers Announced for 5th Women in Animation World Summit
Program lineup and list of presenters revealed for this year’s event, presented in collaboration with the Annecy International Animation Festival and Mifa 2021 hybrid editions, viewable beginning June 14; this year’s theme is ‘The Business Case for Diversity.’
Snipple Inks Deal with Disney Television Animation
Studio signs on as a production partner on ‘The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder’ for Disney+; scores £6m funding from growth investor BGF.
Festival Stop Motion Montréal 2021 Issues Call for Entries
The event, running September 10-19, is accepting short film projects using puppet animation, object animation and/or pixilation; deadline for submissions is July 2.
Crunchyroll and Sentai Announce Home Video Slate
Fan favorites coming to DVD, Blu-ray, and digital include ‘Noblesse,’ ‘Onyx Equinox,’ ‘Haikyu!! To the Top,’ and ‘Keep Your Hands off Eizouken!’
Dialing In the Stylized Italian Riviera Waters of Pixar’s ‘Luca’
Effects supervisor Jon Reisch drew on his experience as a guitarist to develop ocean wave simulation controls, much like sliders on an equalizer, to hit director Enrico Casarosa’s mark for an expressive, lyrical Japanese woodblock look, in the studio’s upcoming animated feature.
9th CEE ANIMATION FORUM ONLINE April 26 – 29 and May 4-6, 2021
This year CEE online was spread over two weeks. 26 – 29 April was devoted to the pitching competition while the industry events were on 4 – 6 May.
Special Events Set for Annecy Festival’s 60th Celebration
At Annecy 2021, first time screenings, masterclasses, and keynotes include a look back with ‘Mémoire d’une minute,’ a shorts collection for Annecy award-winning directors; a masterclass presented by Walt Disney and Kugali animation studios; and a keynote by Terrence Malick about VR ‘Evolver – Prologue.’
‘Migrants,’ ‘Meerkat,’ and ‘I am a Pebble’ Take SIGGRAPH 2021 Computer Animation Festival Honors
Short films from Pôle 3D, Weta Digital, and ESMA are the big winners among 37 works, including two world premieres, selected for this year’s virtual Electronic Theater, coming August 9.
‘The Boss Baby: Family Business’ Gets Simultaneous Peacock and Theatrical Release
Sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s 2017 blockbuster comedy moves up more than two months; film now set to hit streamer and U.S. theaters, as well as select international markets, on July 2.
‘Rugrats’ Returns with a 21st Century Facelift
Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Susie, and Angelica are back, now animated in CG, but still humorously exploring their world as only precocious youngsters can do; series premieres May 27 on Paramount+.
Hybrid Mifa 2021 Revealed: Connect Online or In-Person
Industry leading market’s new, flexible format encourages attendee participation from anywhere; extensive program line-up includes pitches, on-line targeted meetings, and career recruitment; Annecy 2021 runs June 14-19.
